How It Should Be
by L-Joy
Summary: My FAVORITE characters Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye finally indulging in some tasteful romance.  Set just after the brotherhood series ends  but before the epilogue.


How It Should Be  
>September 13, 2011<br>Author: Lauren Joy

Colonel Roy Mustang walked through the grass with his hands in the jacket pockets of his military uniform. It was late in the day and his shift ended early. In truth, his shift never ended, but never really began either. His work was never done and for his rank and position militarily, he could be considered to be "on call" 24-7. Depending on the work load he could technically be off duty at any time he very well chose. Coming to the close of the week he decided a break was in order.

"Maes Hughes  
>1885 - 1914"<p>

Mustang looked down on the gravestone. He came here often; it just seemed to give him more courage and will to improve the world he was driven to have a powerful influence on. Just to know that his most trusted friend's sacrifice wasn't in vain was only just enough. In the very least, Maes could have left his wife and daughter a legacy to the name of "Hughes".

"It may not have turned out exactly as we planned, but I think you would be proud of what we are doing," Roy said quietly to the cold stone in front of him.

It wasn't a habit of Mustang's to talk to inanimate objects and he knew Maes would never be able to hear him, it just seemed to give it more meaning to say aloud. Back in the war of Ishvalla, Maes had made a pact with Mustang to do anything to push him to the top, even at the expense of maintaining lower rank of his own. Mustang made the sacrifice to do what it took to rid the world of as much corruption as possible, which ultimately meant he would need to become the Fuhrer. Once the Homunculi conspiracy ended Mustang decided that instead of becoming Fuhrer himself, it would be better to concentrate on rebuilding the Ishval region that he felt semi responsible for devastating. He was glad when the position of the Fuhrer was taken by Lieutenant General Grumman, the man he served under for many years. Maes Hughes still remained a huge influence on his life, maybe even the reason he decided to make up for the sins he committed in Ishval. Was the passing of one of his truest friends worth it all this? He had to believe that it was. He had to live his life now as if this course was the right decision and it could not have been any other way. He could hear Maes voice in his head:

"_You need to find a nice girl, Roy. Settle down, I'm telling you. The married life…. It's better than you could imagine. Just look this picture of Gracia: She couldn't be anything less than a perfect angel – and Look! My DARLING Elicia! Could she have a more beautiful face? You wouldn't BELIEVE what she did today, she's so talented…." Maes fawned as Mustang rolled his eyes._

"_Please, for the love of…. Concentrate on business Maes we're on the clock…." uttered Roy in slight annoyance._

Roy looked down at his watch. It was getting late.

"Maes, it's about time I _did_ settle down." Mustang said to himself as he glanced over his shoulder to a stoic Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.

She was dressed in her crisp military uniform, neither a crease nor button out of place. He not only trusted Hawkeye with his very life, but also trusted her to use her judgment should he become corrupt on his way to the top, to end the life she worked so hard to protect. During the conspiracy involving the Homunculi, she was reassigned as the personal assistant to Fuhrer Bradley. While keeping her loyalties with Colonel Roy Mustang she returned to her position as his bodyguard without resistance after Bradley's fall.

Staying alert, she allowed him some space to pay his respects, but she took his side glance at her as an invitation to join him. The passing of Colonel, now Brigadier General Maes Hughes was tough on everybody, not excluding herself. Somehow he brought a tiny ray of joy to the workplace, where there was very little reason for it. As nauseating as it was to listen to his constant bragging and fawning over his wife and daughter, you could not help but miss the personality of someone who could barely contain his passions. He was so opposite of her, who kept her emotions under complete control. Sometimes, well to be honest, MOST times Maes Hughes would offer overly intimate information that never needed to be heard in casual conversation. Despite Maes conversations being inappropriate and most likely in violation of protocol between service members, she found herself with even more respect for him. She wouldn't allow, however, a family, or a spouse to ever interfere with her duty and oath to her country. Her passion was in service to them and more importantly Colonel Roy Mustang, an obligation she didn't take lightly. Any luxury she could afford she would deny herself, and that was a decision that was made even before the war in Ishvalla.

"I think he would be proud, Sir." Lieutenant Hawkeye said as she glanced down at General Maes Huges grave. "He would have supported your decision to rebuild Ishval, he would have understood it just as we do why you aren't pushing so hard to become Fuhrer now."

"Yes. Though, there is still something else he would have wanted me to do." Roy said without looking over to the woman standing beside him. Not reading between the lines, Riza's eyes scanned the graveyard for possible threats. "We should head out."

She allowed Colonel Mustang to lead her to the car as she walked beside him. It was always awkward in a way, when they reached the car. The first day Lieutenant Riza had been assigned as his bodyguard he wouldn't allow her to open his car door even though it would be considered lack of protocol for her not to. When he tried to open the driver's door for her shortly after, which would be completely inappropriate for a higher ranking officer to do, she just made a deal that each of them would be in charge of their own.

"Where should I take you?" Hawkeye asked as she settled in the front seat of the car.

A long sigh came from the back seat. "Let's swing by my place. I think I've forgotten some reports there which I should take back to the office. I'll make you some tea while I get things together." Roy replied nonchalantly.

"Sir, you know classified documents _SHOULD_ stay on military property. Knowing you I would assume you haven't filled out the necessary paperwork to release those documents into your possession. Then again, that's what I would expect from a 'hot-shot' state alchemist." She replied, possibly a little too playfully not that she thought of it.

"With all the new protocols we are trying to put in place there is almost no time to finish everything at work. Are you also implying that I _WAS_ a 'hot-shot' state alchemist at one time? And now that our military duties have ceased to be as exciting that I am _no longer_ a 'hot-shot'?" Roy teased.

She knew he was fishing. Would she take the bait? It was always dangerous to flirt. Hawkeye paused and in an emotionless voice answered:

"I won't report your mistake regarding classified documents _this_ time. You'll be glad to know that if you ever decide to become the Fuhrer, you will have more subordinates to file the correct paperwork for you. As far as your alchemy? I need only a bucket of water to render you useless." Her eyes flashed to the rear-view mirror and of course he had his arms crossed with a sly smirk painted across his face. They knew how to push each others buttons.

Intimate situations with Roy started becoming more frequent which didn't used to make her uncomfortable, but now she was finding herself with fewer distractions. Mustang's charms, as powerful as they were, have not yet managed to succeed in swaying her. In the past she secretly wished they would, but over time she a built up a tolerance to them. Every little glance, flirt, tease, or conversation she had with him would just be tucked away in the recesses of her mind behind fortified walls to cherish. On more than one occasion, though she scarcely allowed herself to admit it, he had rushed to her when he found that her life was in danger. Locking these moments away was the _only_ thing she would allow herself. Nothing more. Lately, she has needed to find things at work to distract her, even extra paperwork. The chaos and excitement of their life up until now offered the perfect distraction. It was never a problem to use the task at hand as a priority in her mind. Her thoughts lately however have been ever increasingly lingering on Roy Mustang. This was dangerous territory.

She was always so collected. One of the only times Roy had seen her lose her composure was during the incident at the 3rd Laboratory. Left for dead after a battle with the Homunculi "Lust", he sealed his life-threatening wound using his flame alchemy. He found where Lust had proceeded and overheard her telling Riza that he was dead. In a futile attempt of rage and desperation she emptied her clip into the seemingly immortal Homunculus to no avail. Telling Alphonse to leave and save himself, she fell to her knees weeping. Had Alfonse Elric not protected her for the few moments of Lust's next attack, Riza would have forfeited her life in the belief that Roy's had ended. Even after that incident it didn't take long for her calm stoic demeanor to return.

She is the only person that could make Roy feel uneasy in his attempts to pursue her. Mild as his attempts have been, Hawkeye always had the ability to remain calm and professional. He was used to women fawning over him, and he was very good at catching and maintaining their attention. Riza was more difficult. Every now and then he could get a faint smile out of her, but mostly she resorted to a look or a slightly teasing remark. She never failed to point out how his flame alchemy was useless in the rain. Every now and then playful banter would give him more confidence. He admitted to himself on numerous occasions, this tactic would only go so far, and now he must prepare for a full on attack. It would require tact, and timing was everything. If it didn't work, nothing would.

The car parked in front of his military issued house. Mustang opened the car door and waited for Hawkeye to come around to his side. She had tried on one occasion to lock him in so that he could not open the door himself therefore allowing her to do her duty in respect for her superior. The one previous attempt was easily thwarted. One simple sketch of a circle and he was free without hesitation: Alchemist's were always so cocky.

She did like his house. Everything inside was only what was needed. Everything served its purpose, everything was efficient. There wasn't a lot of flash or flare to his belongings, but it wasn't as if he was still living in the barracks of an enlisted military soldier either: Clean and precise, but not a museum. So many of their past secret missions were planned here, plans to make him Fuhrer. With the loyalty of his unwavering subordinates, 2nd Lieutenant Havoc, 2nd Lieutenant Breda, Warrant Officer Falman, and Sergeant Major Fuery, Mustangs house had been a small hideout for plotting so many things to change this country.

Had they not been in the military, or even she being of subordinate rank to himself, Roy might have offered his arm to her as they walked up to his house. It just wasn't the right time for that. He reached for the door, unlocked it and opened it quietly insisting that Lieutenant Hawkeye enter first. She stepped inside and waited so that she could quickly glance outside behind them just to be sure there wasn't any danger. She always insisted on being the one to lock the door behind them, being head of security and all. As she locked the door and turned around she found that Colonel Mustang had not started walking into the kitchen to prepare the tea as was his custom.

"Riza…."Colonel Mustang said with his back to her, then quickly before she could protest or even see what was about to happen, he turned around, took the nape of her neck in one hand and her lower waist in the other then touched his lips to hers. He felt her relax for only a moment but then suddenly become rigid as if suddenly aware of what just happened. For a few seconds he felt elated, could it really have been this easy for her to drop her defenses? The reality was that she would definitely make it more difficult than that.

Breaking the connection with the lips she has only ever been able to glace at, her eyes popped open, stunned. Stammering, "Ssss Sir, I…. Colonel,… this…."

Was this real? It was a dirty trick catching her off guard, and not an easy thing to accomplish. She couldn't deny it, the desires she had for so long pushed to the back of her mind, locked away into the deepest part of her soul had longed for this. The dreams that she couldn't control, would leave her aching for more. For so long she had convinced herself that the only way to love Roy Mustang was to protect his life, even with hers if it came down to it. To be next to him, and die for him if need be. If he no longer existed she would have no reason to either. How she longed to touch him but she kept her arms pinned to her sides with her hands clenched; she wouldn't let them give her away.

He put both of his hands around her face, cupping her soft jaw line, staring into her deep brown eyes. "Riza, we are no longer in public, please call me Roy. We both have denied ourselves at the great cost of time. The years we have worked together to accomplish the goal for me to become Fuhrer would be a waste for us if it only ended at that. Please don't forget that even though I am your superior, a part of me is still that boy who became your father's apprentice, the boy who decided to pursue the military instead of starting a future with you."

"Sir, I can't…. I" she spit out, flushed and trying her hardest to regain her composure. Why was this so difficult? She never usually had a hard time keeping her emotions in check.

"'Roy'. Please, _Please_, call me 'Roy'." He said sternly.

"…. Roy…." She loved saying his name, maybe because all the formalities never allowed her to. At least that was her excuse. Roy instantly started melting, how amazing it was to hear his name from her perfect mouth.

"Roy," she said a little more sternly as she looked down at his chest unable to move her face still cupped by his hands. It was much easier for her to find the words without looking into his gorgeous dark eyes.

"Listen. I am the head of your security. I cannot allow myself to be distracted, for _one second_. It is my _DUTY_ to protect you. I cannot, and _WILL_ not allow you to be harmed. I accepted this task knowing full well what it meant." She closed her eyes.

Why was it so hard to keep herself under control? Years and years of fighting her desire for him were bubbling up to the surface. He was the reason she even went into the military. When Roy left, she had nothing. Her mother passed away when she was a young child. When her father passed she decided to further her education and seek opportunities that the military had to offer. Secretly and naively she wanted nothing more than to be with Roy. She gave him the secrets to her father's flame alchemy research all the while knowing if they were together, she would only get in the way of his plans. Having a natural talent for marksmanship she accepted the task of becoming a sniper during the war in Ishvalla. She had no idea what she would see, or what she was capable of. Being forced to commit acts under orders she also found the strength to hide her desires. She became a machine for the military; never questioning, always following orders.

"Riza, I never wanted you to be in the military. I never wanted you to be a killer. I wanted to come back for you, but you followed me. The immature idealistic views I held convinced not only me but you as well. During the war I quickly realized what I had become. I saw in your eyes the inevitable change in you as well. What the military did to you. I feel responsible." She couldn't speak. He wanted more than ever for her to just give up. He could tell she was fighting hard.

"I'm going to lay it all out. Riza, I don't want to continue without you. You have protected me with your very life for years but that was never enough for me. I want more. I need more."

Lifting only one hand away from her soft beautiful face, he reached down to her waist and gently pushed her body up against the door. He would trap her. She couldn't back away, and he wouldn't let her. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time parting her lips with his. He gently searched for her tongue with his, working slowly to coerce her into giving in.

Wow, he is good. She was losing it. Her chest felt like it was going to spontaneously ignite. Her arms which been pinned to her sides, slowly relaxed and she finally allowed her hands to start wandering. Her left hand glided up his back, to his neck, and then her fingers gently tangled into his soft silky hair. She had wondered for years what his hair felt like. He pulled away from their kiss leaving his body snug against hers. It was almost as if she couldn't breathe. Staring at her he said, "Please Riza, I need an answer. Is this what you want? I know I don't want to be without you but you seem hesitant. I won't force you, I won't order you."

Oh how she wished he would. It would be so much easier to obey an order. He wants her to decide though. She was having trouble finding her voice and she didn't want to sound weak. Pursing her lips and then taking a deep breath she calmly asked, "How will it work? What if I let my judgment falter? How can I protect you if I let my guard down for even one second? Not only that. You are my superior. I am a lower ranking officer. There are protocols, and codes of conduct that I am supposed to abide by. Is it even permissible?" she stated almost as if resigning herself to the reality that this wasn't real and she couldn't be with him. Of course there were ways to be with each other AND be in the military while abiding by the codes of conduct. It was a perfectly acceptable action to take.

"I will make it permissible."

He won; and she wanted him to win. Her fingers already combed through his wonderfully thick black hair tightened their grip and she pulled his lips to hers. She decided, and she didn't need words to express it. Roy understood instantly. She held back for so long, so many years since she first laid eyes on his handsome face. He was almost arrogant back then but filled with such an enthusiastic passion. From the moment she met him it was decided she would do almost anything to just be near him. Now she could do more than just be near him. She didn't need to serve him only as his protector, his subordinate in the military, torturously denying herself. She could be _his_; all of her could be his.

Although Roy and grown accustomed to the standard military uniforms, right now this barrier between them was too thick. Having worn it for years he knew exactly every button and every zipper that needed to be worked in order to free Riza from its clutches and he didn't have to look. Still enveloped in her kiss, his fingers worked gently but purposefully as button after button were freed from its grasp. Riza's fingers also started to work on the chest of his uniform. He could feel the warmth of her body beneath the thick military grade fabric. One of her shoulders was free and he broke her kiss to glide his lips down her jaw line, then neck, and finally her shoulder, breathing out slowly the entire way. As soon as she tore the last clasp holding him in his uniform jacket they both shed them to the floor and embraced tightly as if taking a break to catch their breath. They still had undershirts on and Riza was still strapped with multiple firearms. Roy had grown accustomed to the firepower she yielded and never felt intimidated by it. Now his attention needed to be focused on one thing: The method to undressing a military uniform.

Riza wished the rest of her uniform would dissolve, or at the very least her boots. Those had to come off next. As though Roy was reading her mind, he bent slightly slipping his right arm around her legs and picked her up into his arms. He set her down onto the couch and kneeled in front of her. Grabbing one of her feet and resting it on his knee, he began furiously loosening the boots laces top to bottom. This is a tedious task because working too fast will only cause the laces to tangle but all he wanted was her to be out of this uniform; to feel her skin against his. It was agonizing how focused he needed to be. After one boot was freed, he ripped off her sock to reveal her surprisingly delicate foot.

Riza's embarrassment kicked in. Not only did Roy take off one boot and sock but he leaned down to kiss her bare foot. After an entire day of being dressed in this uniform the last place she wanted his face was to be that close to her feet. Apparently, he didn't seem to mind and then quickly switched legs to work on the next boot. She took this opportunity to unstrap all of her holstered firearms from around her waist and chest setting them neatly on the couch next to her. If there was an emergency, she knew where they would be. Once both of her feet were free Roy quickly loosened his own laces and stood up to step out of his own boots and socks. He leaned over to put his hands near her hips and gracefully lifted her into his embrace kissing her yet again. Slowly, still holding each other Roy walked her backwards towards his bedroom. Riza had never stepped foot in there so this was uncharted territory.

Once in the hallway he found he just could not wait that long. He had to get her out of the rest of this uniform. With a sharp movement he pushed her up against the wall never even parting from her lips. He felt for the button at the top of her pants. With almost one fluid motion he had the zipper down and they fell to the floor. His pants followed suit. Immediately his hands felt her hips and started to work their way up her sides dragging the bottom of her undershirt with them. Her shirt started lifting off of her chest but to get it off completely he had to let go of her soft precious lips. If anything, it was worth a glance at her body once her undershirt hit the floor. In only underwear and bra he could see her body was in almost perfect condition: Slightly muscular and curvy in all the right places. The only flaws were the healed scars; they barely looked like blemishes and only seemed to enhance her figure as if every unnatural change in her physique was used to make her even more stunning.

A military uniform would never do her justice. He had no idea what she looked like before but his imagination would never come close to her perfection. As he laid his hands around the curve of her waist, he bent down to his knees to kiss her stomach; he just wanted to feel her skin with his lips. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. Every nerve was tingling. Any place he touched it seemed as though a wave of heat would flow there. With excitement butterflies filled her stomach. Then he slowly rose to her breasts as her scent filled his nostrils. Riza didn't wear perfume but the smell of her body was intoxicating. He slowly worked back up to her neck and grazed her cheek with his before looking into her eyes with only the tips of their noses slightly touching.

She always had her hair up in a clip, as was mandatory in the dress code for lower ranking military officers. Right now, that just wouldn't do. He reached behind her head and fiddled with the release on the clip and her long blonde hair was freed to flow over her shoulders and down her back.

Riza's fingertips found the hem of his military issued boxer briefs and then she spread her hands flat onto his abs. Her goal was to remove his shirt but really she wanted to feel his glorious chest hidden beneath it. Working her way up his chest, his undershirt bunched up on the backs of her hands, she felt every muscle along the way. They rippled under her touch and she knew she at least had some power over him. She was becoming increasingly helpless in his hands and her body would do anything they wanted. It was good to know she had a similar affect on him.

When he was free of his undershirt he picked her up again and carried her into his bedroom. Just like the rest of his house, his room was simple. There was nothing extravagant about it and following in suit with his style everything had its own purpose. If he was over indulgent about one thing it was that he had a king sized bed. As he laid her down on to it she realized her own place didn't contain luxuries such as this. The comforter was soft and she leaned away from him as she peeled back the layers of bedding finding that even the sheets were silky.

Roy watched her run her hands over the sheets with her back to him. He lifted one hand to trace the pattern of the coded transmutation circle permanently tattooed on her back. He had seen this for the first time after her father died. Her father, being slightly paranoid, believed he could only guard his life's work by etching it permanently into his own daughters flesh. Knowing Roy's plans to join the military Riza showed him the pattern willingly giving him the tools that awarded him the name "The Flame Alchemist." After the war he knew she regretted it. She saw what he did with it. The countless lives he took with her fathers secrets along with the numerous lives taken through the site of her scope, she carried this heavy burden on herself. He could see it in her eyes, the light he fell in love with had dulled. She came to him after the war and convinced him to destroy the notes engraved into her skin. She said she would not help create another 'monstrous' flame alchemist. Knowing what he himself had done, he couldn't deny her. But how could he let his own hands cause her more pain? As gently as he could, he did as she asked burning and scorching away the most sensitive information of her tattoo. He knew how painful this was but she didn't even make a sound. The scars on her flesh would never be as deep as the scars burnt into his soul. Riza was so important to everything in his life. Every step he took, every decision he made, SHE was intertwined with it. Always ready for his every command she never took anything for herself.

Unclasping her bra he leaned closer to her to kiss each faded scar left by his hands so many years ago. The straps gently slid down her arms. There were a millions things he could think of doing to her, and a million more that he could imagine her doing to him, but now was not the time for that. Everything in the military life was strategically planned and more often than not taken by force. Up until now, Mustang had felt the effects of being moved around and ordered to do things against his better judgment. Everything had a method and a chain of command. He wanted this to be different, at least this time.

He wanted passion for Riza not some cheap erotic act, though for a second he toyed with the idea of things that might come later. Turning her back around to lay down on the bed, then climbing over to straddle her he felt for her neck just under her jaw line with his lips. It became increasingly more difficult for her to keep her well practiced emotionless appearance. It was almost as if every muscle in her body was squirming to regain control against his ministrations, and he loved being able to tear down the façade she expertly wore. With the tips of his fingers he started exploring her chest, caressing her generous curves. She couldn't hold back a small moan escaping her closed mouth as his lips also traveled down to meet his hands.

So close to losing control there was no way she could hold on for long. Between her hips she could feel his swelling bulge as he savored her breasts. He couldn't bear to lift his hands away from the flawless form of her chest so he compromised replacing one hand with his mouth. His hot breath over the surface of her skin was agonizingly blissful but even more so when his tongue began to massage her nipple. With a quick glance upward he saw her biting her lip with her eyes slammed shut as she breathed in slow. A smile formed on his mouth when he realized she was trying to use her training for torture resistance to survive his actions, and it wasn't working.

Two thin layers of cotton were the only thing that separated them now and they definitely knew it. She was almost relieved when he started sliding down her body to catch the top of her panties with his fingertips. That relief was short lived however when her body ached for more. Excruciatingly slow, he dragged the delicate fabric down taking time to savor the surface of her well defined legs.

There was a soft rustle as her panties fell onto the foot of the bed. Securing one of her feet again in his hand while taking advantage the time to remove his own underwear with the other, he began working his way back up to her beginning with a small kiss on the tip of her toe, which sent a deeper wave of blush into her already reddened cheeks. She wasn't one to feel self-conscious but apparently this was one new thing, among a few others, that she would learn about herself tonight. Soft, sensual kisses worked their way up the inside of her leg sending jolts of electricity through her body. She was burning from the tips of her fingers to the tips of her toes; the 'Flame Alchemist' remained true to his name. Under his control she was powerless as he kindled the fire inside her. It was unbearable but in the same not enough to satisfy her.

Roy could feel himself raging with anticipation; his desire for her was overwhelming. He was almost there, but first his curiosity would be fulfilled. He wanted to taste her. Slipping his hands under her rear he gripped her cheeks and the soft climbing kisses on her inner thigh reached their destination. His lips met her lower lips and his tongue grazed her moist skin. The taste of Riza would forever be etched into his memory.

All Riza could do not to scream out was grab on the base of his skull with her right hand capturing a thick bundle of his hair in her fingers. Throwing her left arm out sideways, she hit the palm of her hand against the bed with brutal force grasping onto as much of the sheets as she could get. She was holding on for dear life and she couldn't take it anymore. Before he could do anything else to tease and torment her she let go of the sheets, grasped the base of the back of his head this time with both hands and pulled his face up to hers. Wide eyed with all the voice she could muster she said breathlessly: "….more….."

With the simple snap of a finger Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, could ignite an inferno and send it any way he desired. One soft whispered word from Riza's alluring lips set his whole body ablaze. She forcefully kissed him as the tip of his member touched the lips of her expanse. Slowly he slid in meeting no resistance. Both took a sharp deep breath as their bodies began to fulfill their carnal desires. He could feel the tightness of her depths, and she welcomed him with her warm supple appeal. His flesh became completely devoured by hers. He wouldn't pretend he's never been with anyone else, but it had never been like this.

He ground deeper and deeper. Riza wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Their motion together was perfectly synchronized. They had been on so many missions together, fought side by side in so many battles; they could read each other's movements without communication or even a signal. This was no exception. Every thrust Roy made she would counter. She pulled him harder forcing him farther into her. One hand anchoring him allowed his other to explore. He felt the raised pattern of the coded transmutation circle on her back, a permanent reminder of their past.

The fires inside them now matched in fierceness and temperature. Both could feel the boiling point advancing. Riza, with only moments away from what felt like her body bursting into millions of pieces whispered into his ear, "Roy, I love you. I have _always _loved you."

With that every nerve of her body fired with electricity. Wave after wave of euphoria crashed into her. One more heavy thrust and Roy felt the same. Uncontrollable convulsions racked them as they struggled for air. Every ounce of energy they could muster was used to get here, and here is where they never wanted to leave. He could feel the pressure subsiding, and a dull numbing washed over their bodies.

Roy rolled over next to her and gathered her to him. There were no words either could say after the moment they shared so they stared at each others faces, soaking in every detail. Every attachment they felt towards each other was now almost tangible. All of the moments Riza had tucked away were now out in the open. Everything feeling she had forced behind the fortified walls in her heart was now free for her to act on. The walls had been destroyed never to be rebuilt.

Roy combed his fingers through her hair, realizing that for years his love for her had been constant. Acting upon his love caused it to grow exponentially. No more time will be wasted. He had already decided that he could barely even fathom living without her, but only recently, when she came so close to passing away just to keep him from performing human transmutation, he decided that the _world_ couldn't live without Riza Hawkeye. His new mission was to cherish her, as she has always deserved. After a few moments Roy said, "You understand now Riza, that I will no longer permit you to drive me around, and you _WILL_ allow me act upon my chivalry. I will open any door for you as I please."

"Is that an order Colonel?"

With his energy replenished he sat up and moved away from her to his nightstand. After opening the drawer, stood up, and walked around the bed. Riza sat up swung her legs over allowing her feet to touch the floor and Roy knelt down opening a small box. She looked down at a simple ring.

"Riza... I know this may not have been the correct order of things but… will you give me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The style they shared for efficiency was reflected in this simple band. No flash or flare. She took a moment, longer than needed; more for the effect of making him sweat it out. Looking at him with an expressionless face she finally answered in a calm voice, her professional demeanor completely restored,

"….. yes…"

**Authors Note:**

I have a tendency to fall in love with characters. Upon watching 'Full Metal Alchemist' I instantly grew attached to Roy and Riza. The chemistry between them and their deep back-story just left me wanting more. I have found that most writers of animes and mangas haven't had the decency to reward their faithful unwavering fans with a simple kiss between the best of characters. They all know that at least we ladies need this, and in knowing this, it makes them completely and utterly evil. FMA left me unsatisfied for even a kiss between the Ed and Winry, and one picture of Roy and Riza in the epilogue was just too little, so I went searching for a tasteful rendition of how these two would eventually get together. Some were shallow, some were heavily erotic, but again I didn't find what I needed. It came down to me writing my own.

I wanted to stay as true to the nature of their characters as I could. I know some of you may see them differently. I originally wrote this taking place just after Roy took the position of Fuhrer with Riza being promoted to the highest rank of security under him. Having the liberty to write it though I decided I couldn't wait that long for Roy and Riza to just go for it. I retained their ranks from the end of the manga/anime (from the brotherhood before the epilogue) and decided to just go from there. With every new story and plot line, I fall in love with more characters (it's a dang good thing they aren't real for my sake) but I believe my favorite will always be these two: Colonel Roy Mustang and Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.

This is my first attempt at writing and sorry boys, this is a ladies fantasy. I know most men out there would love some devious acts and while my rendition is quite graphic, I wanted to tone down the explicit visualizations so that they remained sweet and passionate. Maybe, depending on the response to my little short story I could write a continuation exploring Riza throwing rank aside and barking a few orders of her own. I know I'd love to see Mustang squirm and maybe you boys would like it more. It's fun to play with the options.

As I said, this is my first attempt so please, give me feedback. Given the nature of the content you may only guess that I wouldn't be sharing this with even the closest of my friends or family. You will be the ones who tell me like it is. Don't hold back please.

- Lauren


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